The Chrismans superpower is their elevated professionalism and ability to make you feel like your best self. I've known Ben and Erin for over 15 years. You could say I found my wedding photographers before I found my husband. Over the years, I've worked with them numerous times over the years. Ben & Erin photographed my engagement session in Scottsdale, AZ. Then they photographed our wedding weekend in Lake Como, Italy. Every photo they took from our trip in Italy is my most prized possession! It was like having friends photograph the first most important day of my life. My pictures are emotional, sentimental, and vibrant. While I was living in the moment at my wedding, they were documenting moments I didn't even see happening. Today, I cherish the variety of pictures they captured of my Mom and me at my wedding, her happiest of times and now, all I have left to remember her. She loved Ben & Erin because they are not just friendly people, they are intelligent, fun to be around, adventurous and kind hearted people. Above all, they are the most communicative and creative photographers I have ever met. They always superpass my expectations. Next month, we will hire them to photograph our business headshots in Charleston, SC. I trust them to make me look good and capture my best looking self (maybe even better than myself). They know the right thing to do in every moment. I wouldn't just recommend them, I'd tell you to hire them before they book up. read more

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I would highly recommend Chrisman Studios if you want the best of the best.. Its doesn't get more real than this team. To say Ben has a rare talent is an understatement. He is amazing and our photos surpassed our expectations. We had several phones calls prior to the shoot and Ben showed a genuine interest in us and what make us a happy family. The time he took with us at the shoot was great. My children warmed up to him so fast and we all felt very comfortable. We felt like we had been long lost friends with Ben. Seeing our photos was amazing- the happiness and pure emotion that was captured was astounding. We will cherish our prints for a lifetime. Everyone that sees the photographs is absolutely blown away. This team is the real deal. read more

We appreciate the lovely pictures from our family photo shoot. Thank you for capturing the spirit of our family members aging from infancy to grandparents. The pictures are lively! Marvelous work. read more

We hired Ben and his team for our wedding at a Charlottesville cider mill. Couldn't have asked for more. They used every angle and light source they could finagle to craft unique and memorable images. But more than that, they captured the narrative of our day, like true photojournalists, so that when we look back at the pictures, it's not just the striking images or portraits of our friends and family, but the true story of our day. Cannot recommend highly enough. read more

Ben and Erin are incredible photographers. They are so much fun to be around and take creative, unique and meaningful photos. As wedding photographers, they truly capture moments of your life that you will look back on over and over. I'm so grateful to have had them at my wedding (10 years ago!) and now my family photos. As family portrait photographers, the photos they capture are always beyond anything we could have imagined. We love Chrisman Studios and always look forward to our next shoot with them! read more

Chrisman Studios is the best of the best of the best!!! They photographed our engagement session, rehearsal dinner and wedding and the photos we are breathtaking. I am immediately back in the moment every time I look at them. Best money we spent on our wedding, and even casual acquaintances remember how stunning they are. Chrisman studios is great at the traditional shots your mom is going to want on her mantle, but they are truly gifted at capturing the beauty of the day, the emotion of the moment, and seriously fun party. You will thank yourself later for hiring them! read more

If there was ever a time a 5 star review was not enough... it would be for Chrisman Studios. Ben and Erin Chrisman are truly the best at what they do. Winners of countless "Photographers of the Year" awards and client praise, they each have been recognized as one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the world. Not CA, and not just U.S. People, I said...THE WORLD. How impressive is that? The quality of their work is AMAZING and EXQUISITE. Their professionalism is IMPECCABLE, and above everything else (if that's even possible), their humility and easy-going nature makes working with them, both an honor and an experience you will never forget. You can spend all the money in the world on your dream dress and all the little details to make your day perfect...but imagine how wonderful it would be to relive that moment again and again simply by flipping through your wedding album. Having been a bridesmaid more times than I have fingers to count with, I have seen my fair share of photographers and I encourage all brides-to-be to be extremely picky when choosing a wedding photographer. Find one that you have a good rapport with (or else you will be stuck with them for 8+ hrs) and more importantly, make sure you share the same cohesive vision with them (or else you are stuck with paying for crap photos, ones you could have asked your Uncle Lenny to take for free). That is exactly why I needed the Chrismans for my own wedding and I couldn't be happier with that decision. Too often do people spend good money on wedding photographers who seemingly care more about snapping shots to build their personal portfolios than spending the extra time to capture the essence of the couple and their special day. Of course you will still get the awkward and unnatural posing portraits with any photographer, but beyond these shots, what extends to Ben and Erin's praise is that they capture true emotion and personal, enduring moments when you think that no one else is looking. There is no nook or cranny that is too small for Ben to crawl into for a good shot and when you are having a private or intimate moment, you won't see Erin but don't worry, she's there for you...snapping away. And as if those weren't good enough reasons to hire them, they are creative geniuses!! They can turn any photo into an artistic expression. Anytime you are confused as to what they are doing...that's when their juices are flowing and they are inspired by an angle, shadow, object or anything worth shooting you from. If you don't believe me, check out their work for yourself: www.chrismanstudios.com They are based out of San Francisco but willing to travel to any destination near or far, for grand or intimate weddings. One word of advice...if cost is an issue, you will need to budget accordingly but they are sooooo worth it. Contact them soon and when you do, tell them Jane sent you...then book fast because you could miss your chance simply by blinking. My only regret is that I didn't take engagement photos with them. A second marriage perhaps, just so I can have them take more pictures of me!?!? (Juuuuust kiddddddding, H) read more

Chrisman Studios - Session Photography Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

If there were 10 stars for Mauricio Arias, I would give them!!! There are no other photographers in the world like him and Chrisman Studios!! I reached out to Chrisman after seeing their pictures at a friend's wedding, and the second I called them I knew I had made the right decision. They were absolutely wonderful to work with. We used Mauricio Arias for our engagement shoot, rehearsal dinner and wedding. Mauricio drove all the way to Lake Tahoe to take our engagement photos last July because that was my dream and he said "whatever it takes to make it happen!" Talk about passion for your work, your clients and dedication to getting the perfect images. Mauricio is a creative genius, capturing images from every single angle imaginable. Mauricio is inspired by the most amazing objects, images and angles in nature, and you can truly feel his passion for his work through him. I'll echo the other reviewers, booking Mauricio and Chrisman was best wedding decision we made. They are not cheap but you will never regret the money you spend. The photos they create are some of the most vibrant, colorful, emotional and raw images you will ever see. We cannot wait to see the photos from our wedding last weekend, and know if they turn out anything like our engagement shoot they will be just sensational and everything we could have only dreamed of. Thank you Mauricio!!!! read more

I cannot speak highly enough about the talent, care, and personal touch of the Chrismans. They affably take their time, getting to know the subjects of their amazing photography on a personal level before doing anything else, and as a result the quality of their work is not simply in the photos, but the experience, and the ultimate result. They are able not just to capture moments, but they distill them in such a way as to capture the beauty and soul of what is going on around them. After our experience with the Chrismans shooting our wedding, we will forever refuse to work with anyone else but them. Not to put too fine a point on it, but they are the best at what they do, and incredible people to boot. You will not be disappointed. read more

Wow! Just received our wedding photos and was blown away from the talent and creativity of Aaron Morris. The talent runs deep at Chrisman Studios! Aaron shot our Sept 2012 wedding at the Asian Art Museum and Saint Mary's Cathedral. We were originally drawn to Chrisman Studios because of the stunning wedding photos from Erin and Ben Chrisman but the 10K+ price tag was too steep for our budget. We opted for Aaron Morris who is one of the photographers who works under their studio name. He is young, fresh and super talented! The journalistic style Chrisman is famous for captured the raw emotion of the most important day of our lives without posing for the cameras all day. Chrisman Studios is well known for their post production work and Aaron displayed his unbounded creativity making our photos far from the standard fare of wedding albums. If you want the Chrisman talent, quality and uniqueness with a more reasonable price tag, Aaron is your man! read more

Chrisman Studios - Photo by Aaron Morris at Asian Art Museum Sept 2012 - Session Photography Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

Absolutely positively the very best investment we made for our wedding. You can judge for yourself here: http://benchrismanblog.com/kay-thomas-2/ Ben and Erin are able to capture the moment without you even noticing they're there. On a personal note, they are friendly, mellow and fun to be around which is important when you're running around frantic and in hair rollers. read more

Ben and Erin Chrisman are truly the best in the biz. Their pictures are out of this world! They really know how to make you feel comfortable and are so cool to be around. If you're the type of person who wants the absolute best on the most important day of your life, then without hesitation you go with these guys! read more

There really are no words to describe these photographers and the photos they take. I'm going to have to find some though to write this review. It all started when I came across a wedding they did while I was searching for photos of the Mexican venue we had booked for our wedding. As soon as I saw these photos I knew I had to have them. I convinced my husband-to-be that we needed them - I bribed, I threatened eternal regret, I made bargains. Then I changed our wedding date so that the Chrismans could do our wedding (they were booked on our original date). I was going to make this work.. And once everything was said and done (lots of emails were exchanged with Ben and Erin and they were so great answering questions), I rested easy knowing that, regardless of what happens on our wedding day, we have the best photographers on the planet. The photos themselves are phenomenal. Unlike any wedding photos you've ever seen. They aren't traditional, cookie cutter, perfect pose wedding pictures. They capture real moments and raw emotion but they do it in the most artistic way. Everyone who sees our wedding photos is blown away. Ben and Erin are total professionals, they know where they need to be and they make you feel very comfortable. I was nervous that I wouldn't feel myself with all the paparazzi (a thousand clicks a minute with these two!) but Erin assured me I would forget all about the cameras and I did. It's like they were just friends hanging out, genuinely happy to be a part of your life on this awesome day. They are also just fantastic people; so much fun, so sweet, so in love with each other (great energy for your wedding day!) and so down to earth. I'll echo the other reviewers, booking Ben and Erin was the best wedding decision we made. We have remarkable photos from the best day of our lives and having the two of them there just added to it. My husband and I now consider them to be lifelong friends, which is pretty cool. They are not cheap that's for sure but they are so incredible and you'll never regret the money spent. They put a lot of care into your photos on the back end with edits so don't expect them back the next month. There are plenty of photographers who will be cheaper and who will give you a quick turnaround rate. Chrisman Studios is in another league. They'll take more time with your photos and you will be in love with the results. I also have to mention Michael Reed, Erin's brother, who did our videography. Our video is ridiculous. We watch it all the time, you gotta see it: http://michaelreedfilms.com/video/47980155 And check out our wedding photos here: http://www.chrismanstudios.com/blog/weddings/apollina-brad-hacienda-cerritos-wedding/ Happy wedding planning! Enjoy every bit of it:) read more

I have to say that hiring Chrisman Studios for our wedding was one of the best decisions my husband and I made! We went to a friends wedding and the minute we saw their pictures on Facebook we knew we had to hire them for ours! Luckily, the photographer Aaron Morris was available and we are thrilled with the pictures. Erin is so easy to work with. Very relaxed and chill which is exactly what you need when dealing with all the wedding drama. Aaron couldn't have been nicer and really went out of his way to capture all the important moments. He was always one step ahead of us and knew exactly how to position us to get the perfect shots. We also hired Michael Reed through Chrisman to be the videographer and like Aaron and Erin, he was super fun and easy to work with. Hands down- if you want your pictures to be amazing- go with Chrisman. You will thank me later! :) read more

There aren't enough words to describe the amazing experience working with Ben, Erin, and Mauricio. They captured not only the best moments of the wedding, but moments that I didn't realize were happening until after the fact!! The beauty and emotion captured in every picture is stunning, and they couldn't have been easier to work with. There's no request they can't accommodate. And as someone who doesn't particularly like getting my picture taken - they not only made me feel comfortable, but they made me enjoy the process from start to finish. read more

Absolutely, HANDS-DOWN THE BEST decision we made for our wedding. My husband and I got married in San Franciso in July 2007. Photography was the most important element of our wedding and I wanted to be sure we had the best (and I am a really, really particular person!). I found Ben through a friend and was immediately impressed by his artistic ability, responsiveness and personal touch. He doesn't approach his work like a typical business person. You really feel that his priority is to make sure you have the most memorable and perfect day of your life and that he will do everything in his power to capture it all. He went above and beyond what I had expected on my wedding day - from getting me tea while I was getting my hair done to offering me calming thoughts when my nerves hit. The thing I appreciate about Ben's style is that when he's shooting, you never know that he's there, yet he's everywhere! He catches the most beautiful and intimate moments that I will cherish for a lifetime. Ben truly loves what he does and it really shows. So many of my wedding guests have raved about my photos and are planning to use him when they get married. If you go with Ben you can't go wrong! He is honestly the best! I am a forever his biggest fan! (P.S. He travels everywhere so don't let his location deter you from contacting him.) read more

Ben is absolutely amazing! If you can afford his photography there really is no reason to look anywhere else. He is so personable and professional and INCREDIBLY creative. In a chaotic time, filled with thousands of decisions, Ben was BY FAR the best choice my husband and I made for our wedding. He truly goes the extra mile to ensure everyone moment is captured with out you ever even realizing he's there. (In fact, guests at our wedding named he and his assistant, our ninja photographers.) He is beyond easy to work with, even showing up at our rehearsal dinner and spending the entire wedding day with us to ensure every last moment was documented. Ben is truly a pleasure to work with and WORTH EVERY SINGLE PENNY!!!! read more

Exquisite. Unbelievable. Moving. Hilarious. Gorgeous. Incredible. All superlatives used by my friends and family to describe the photos Ben took of our wedding. I'd use the same words and more. Ben is a fantastically gifted photographer whose photos encapsulate the emotions, moods and personalities of his subjects. He is incredibly creative and an absolute blast to work with. He is professional but also fun - it was never awkward or uncomfortable to have him with us - even in intense emotional moments or while we were getting dressed. Our guests repeatedly told us how great he was, how nice he was and how friendly - and this was before they saw the photos!! Although Ben has a way of capturing moments without you knowing that he is there, he is also a pleasure to be around, which definitely matters since he is going to spend the entire day with you! After we saw his website, my only worry is that the photos he had posted were exceptions rather than his rule. But I heard enough rave-reviews from other people that after meeting him, my husband and I decided to go with him. It was one of the best decisions we made - and my parents and husband would unequivocally agree. Our photos are even more beautiful than I could have hoped for and I had my hopes set pretty high! Our photos were at once elegant and whimsical, romantic and modern, intimate and inclusive. Ben managed to capture the whole "story" of our wedding day, including many moments I wasn't a part of, as well as shots of everyone of our 200 guests -- so the final narrative is incredibly meaningful and powerful. As the bride, the day went by so fast and his photos bring me back the the countless precious moments I never want to forget. Thanks to Ben, I don't have any worry about that. He is worth every penny and more. You will count yourself lucky if you get to work with him and you will have so much fun!!! read more

Ben and Erin shot our wedding, and we could not be happier. They were communicative and fun to work with (our other vendors agree), and their pictures really capture every moment of the day. They were everywhere, catching every detail, but I feel like I hardly noticed their presence. The album they designed for us is also beautifully done, and we are so happy that we remained friends with them well afterwards. They're coming back to shoot another special event for us nearly two years after our wedding. read more

To start, I need to explain how we found Chrisman Studios. One of our dearest and oldest friends is a photo-journalist. He's had the cover of Times, Newsweek, was Condoleeza Rice's personal photographer for a year, on the Bush Campaign trail, etc. He shoots weddings for good friends and sometimes acts as a second shooter for weddings to make some money. He wanted to shoot our wedding but we adamantly refused; we wanted him to hear the ceremony and most importantly, take advantage of the open bar. He reviewed the photographers our planner found and researched on his own to find us Aaron at Chrisman Studios. So you can think of Chrisman Studios as the photographer's photographers. Something unexpected happened when I met Aaron. He's so mild mannered, professional and a pleasure to have around, I immediately asked him to join us at the dive bar we were going to after the dinner rehearsal. He professionally refused of course, but I immediately felt like he was part of us and I wanted him to enjoy our friends and family. I don't know if all brides get emotional and start sharing stories with their photographer but I found myself telling Aaron stories about myself, my groom, and our friends and family. I don't know if it's because I know our friend shoots us so well because he knows us or I felt like he was so amazing, I wanted him to really know us. Aaron was so meticulous, having us sometimes move 1cm. He apologized at one point for being so picky and I explained to him that my now husband and I had both lost 10lbs in preparation for the wedding. I've had many milestones where I was overweight and HATE the photos. My husband and I have long believed you need to be the best version of yourself on your wedding day to start your new future together. I told Aaron, he didn't have to apologize because we had essentially been working so hard for him and whatever he wanted of us. Our photographer friend watched Aaron and said to me after the wedding he can't wait to see the photos. He said we made it easy for Aaron by looking great, a beautiful venue and great lighting and Aaron could have phoned it in, but he saw Aaron working so SO hard. As I continued to imbibe, by the end of the night (in the presence of my husband) I started telling Aaron I had developed a wedding crush on him. Lol. It was because he cared SO much as did we. We know we made the right choice and can't wait to see the final product. read more

Ben and Erin are not only incredible photographers, but also some of the nicest, most personable people I've met. We missed the opportunity to have them shoot our wedding, but will definitely be reaching out for family photos in the future! read more

Words are not enough to describe the passion and love that resonate through our photos from the Chrisman's! They are the best at capturing the precious moments of our family and we will cherish our prints forever. read more

If you're like me, you are probably in the midst of reading Yelp reviews for way too many photographers to find the perfect one for your special day. Here's the deal: You've found the one. Period. Hands down. Close yelp, click on their website, give them a call, and rest easy knowing you just made one of the best decisions of your life. We just received our wedding photos yesterday and for the first time in my life, I saw my husband cry...like I think at least one actual tear left his eye. We came across a picture of his uncle crying during our ceremony. The picture was so vivid and so perfectly captured his uncle's whole being, that it brought both of us to tears. Literally. And that is jut one example. We have been pouring over our pictures since we got them - laughing, crying, and recounting that gorgeous day we made "us" official. The pictures are absolutely stunning. Phenomenal. Utterly and completely breathtaking. Yes it costs money to hire a photographer. Yes it can feel like a lot. But at the risk of sounding trite, I'm going to say that what you receive in return is priceless. Period. Now that all the gushing is out of the way, the nitty gritty: Mauricio Arias was our photographer and he was amazing! He showed up early and somehow managed to capture things we wouldn't have even thought about. He was open to any specific things we wanted to do but also (and primarily) had his own ideas and just seamlessly made magic happen! This is super important on your wedding day when you just kinda want (read need) everyone to make things happen like they're supposed to. Another thing I really appreciated about Mauricio is that he asked us a number of times whether we were sure we wanted to forego traditional family photos. While we slightly regret not doing this now, he did continually asked us throughout the night just to be sure. In other words, he knows what he's doing and tried to give us ample opportunity to change our minds and do the right thing...alas, we opted out. The great news though is that he captured so many amazing pics of our family that we still *feel* like we did family photos even though we didn't:). As for Erin and Ben, they were just wonderful from the beginning to the present moment. They were always available to answer any questions I had and they were incredibly generous and thoughtful throughout the entire process. Seriously - while there are few things we might change about our wedding day if we had it to do over, we would choose Chrisman Studios again in a heartbeat. My only regret is that I wasted so much time reading Yelp reviews for other studios before I found them! Seriously, end your search now and move on to all those other things you still need to do;-) read more

Ben and Erin really are as good as it gets. I always had a vision for how my wedding photos would look. Ben and Erin managed to far exceed my expectations. Every time we look at our photos, it is like looking at a dream wedding out of a magazine. There is no better feeling than knowing that while you are living in the moment and enjoying your special day, that these two brilliant photographers will be there to catch every part of it! read more

We've run out of superlatives to describe Ben's brilliant work. He is a true genius in his craft and simply an outstanding person. He is incredibly generous with his time and energy and has always given us 110%. Ben frames his shots beautifully and captures moments that instantly take you back to what you were feeling at that specific time. He can take the most pedestrian or otherwise mundane objects and angles and turn them into something remarkable and special. He is also a member of the WPJA (Wedding Photojournalist Assoc), from which he recently received a few more awards, yet still is full of humility. We're so fortunate to have found him because hiring Ben was the best decision we made about our wedding! As impressive as he already is, we didn't know that is was possible for his work to keep getting better, shot after shot. We invite you to check out his work and prepare for something truly unique and special. Ben Chrisman is worth every penny. read more

Absolutely the best! We just had our engagement shots done in the city and they turned out really well. We only got to spend a few hours with Ben, but he was able to take many great shots. He was very professional during the shoot, but he was very easy going and warm. At times, it didn't feel like he was taking our photos, but that we were just haging out together. He really made us feel comfortable. We just got our photos from our session, and the are amazing. If you'd like to see a sampling of his photos, go to his website. We've met with many photographers (probably over 15 of them), but his photos are consistently the best. You should always look at the photographer's album for a couple, because if you look at any photographer's website, he/she only takes the good shots from many weddings, so they all look great. But you can tell apart the photographers better, if you look at their complete work for a wedding/couple. Ben has consistently taken fantastic shots, that you won't be disappointed. We got so many shots that we were hoping for, from looking (or should I say, admiring) at his photos on his website. Ben, you are the best! Thanks so much for a fantastic time and good luck with your work. I hope that we can have you take photos of us again soon! read more

If Ben Chrisman shoots your wedding, you'll find yourself wishing he could attend every anniversary, family reunion, and backyard bbq from then on. There is simply nobody else like Ben. The moments and expressions he captured at our wedding have come to define and enhance our very best memories from that day, from the hectic dash when we started suiting up in the morning to the final candlelit embraces at the end of the night. His web site will give you an idea of what he's capable of - my wife found him online and we made our decision then, based purely on his talent. Then we got a chance to spend some time with him during an engagement photo session. Insightful, thoughtful, easy going, a wonderful sense of humor - Ben made us feel like we were the only people on earth. By the time the wedding was over, all of our friends and family, young and old, had something glowing to say about him. With all the uncertainty we went through picking vendors for food, flowers, music and everything else, the decision to work with Ben was unquestionably the best move we made. read more

I can't say enough great things about our experience with Maurico. We chose him because of his creativity and his amazing pictures that we saw on the Chrisman website. Being able to be part of his creative process was absolutely incredible. He was very personable and made my husband and I feel so at ease from the moment they arrived until our wedding was over. Our 2nd shooter, Bryan, was also amazing. You can tell that they knew exactly what they were doing & they had great chemistry with each other making it really comfortable for me & my husband as well as our guests. They took a gazillion photos at some seriously awesome angles; moving their bodies or furniture in ways that I am sure they were not comfortable in but anything for that great picture! I had so many guests ask me where I found the photographers because of their phenomenal work ethic. I haven't seen my pics yet, but I have no doubts in my mind that they will be fantastic. We feel so satisfied with our decision to go with them. Stay tuned for my updated review. read more